Nau mai haere mai ki Tini Whetū Project Space! An open invitation from Evening Books has developed into a new experimental art space in Ōtepoti - Tini Whetū Project Space. This new project space is an artist run initiative, facilitated by Piupiu Maya Turei (Wairarapa Moana, Te Atihaunui-a-Paparangi). Situated upstairs in the hallway to the Yours offices and Evening Books, the kaupapa of Tini Whetū Project Space draws inspiration from four core sources: the tenacity of Paemanu: Ngāi Tahu Contemporary Visual Arts; kaupapa Māori curatorial foundations; the anarchist praxis of Yours; and the emphasis on the emerging and experimental from Evening Books.
Looking to exhibitions such as Tū atu, tū mai,- he karaka manu ki kā manuhiri by Vicki Lenihan and the ongoing work from Hoea! Gallery, Tini Whetū Project Space aspires to be a joyus, experimental and nourishing place for audiences, artists and kaimahi alike. The name Tini Whetū Project Space comes from the whakatauki from Rangitāne: "Ko tini whetū ki te rangi, Ko Rangitāne nui ki te whenua." It is my hope that a love for art is ignited in many people. The book Ngā Tini Whetū: Navigating Māori Futures by Sir Mason Durie as the guiding pukapuka for this project.